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Making Everything Easier! Self-Hypnosis Learn to: Unlock the power of your mind Enter a hypnotic trance and direct your subconscious Use hypnosis to lose weight, quit smoking, overcome anxiety, beat insomnia and more Practise self-hypnosis with the audio CD Mike Bryant Hypnotherapist and counsellor Peter Mabbutt Director of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis Get More and Do More at Dummies.com Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include Checklists Charts Common Instructions And Other Good Stuff! To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to Get Smart at Dummies.com Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. Check out our Videos Illustrated Articles Step-by-Step Instructions Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering our Dummies.com sweepstakes. * Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on Digital Photography Microsoft Windows & Office Personal Finance & Investing Health & Wellness Computing, ipods & Cell Phones ebay Internet Food, Home & Garden Find out HOW at Dummies.com *Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules. Self-Hypnosis FOR DUMmIES Self-Hypnosis FOR DUMmIES by Mike Bryant and Peter Mabbutt A John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, Publication Self-Hypnosis For Dummies Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd The Atrium Southern Gate Chichester West Sussex PO19 8SQ England (for orders and customer service enquires): Visit our Home Page on Copyright 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex, England Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex All Rights Reserved. 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Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, England, or ed to or faxed to (44) Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK ARE INTENDED TO FURTHER GENERAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, UNDERSTANDING, AND DISCUSSION ONLY AND ARE NOT INTENDED AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS RECOMMENDING OR PROMOTING A SPECIFIC METHOD, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT BY PHYSICIANS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PATIENT. THE PUBLISHE, THE AUTHOR, AND ANYONE ELSE INVOLVED IN PREPARING THIS WORK MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN VIEW OF ONGOING RESEARCH, EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS, CHANGES IN GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS, AND THE CONSTANT FLOW OF INFOR- MATION RELATING TO THE USE OF MEDICINES, EQUIPMENT, AND DEVICES, THE READER IS URGED TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE PACKAGE INSERT OR INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH MEDICINE, EQUIPMENT, OR DEVICE FOR, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ANY CHANGES IN THE INSTRUCTIONS OR INDICATION OF USAGE AND FOR ADDED WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS. READERS SHOULD CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST WHERE APPROPRIATE. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY ANY PROMOTIONAL STATEMENTS FOR THIS WORK. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at , outside the U.S. at , or fax For technical support, please visit Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd., Glasgow About the Authors Mike Bryant is a Hoosier from Indianapolis who has lived in England since Mike is also qualified psychiatric social worker, counsellor, and hypnotherapist. Having worked in both America and the United Kingdom as a counsellor and mental health professional, Mike was a consultant for the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, advising NHS Trusts across the UK, and now works as a Mental Health Act Commissioner for the national Care Quality Commission. Mike has also worked as a clinical supervisor to both counselling and hypnotherapy training organisations and is currently a part-time staff counsellor at Goldsmiths, University of London. Mike currently lives in London with his wife and family and has a private practice as a counsellor and hypnotherapist. You can find more information about Mike s clinical practice at Peter Mabbutt is CEO and Director of Studies at the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH). He lectures extensively throughout the UK and the Asia Pacific region to students of hypnotherapy, the medical profession and the general public. Peter also makes regular appearances on radio promoting and discussing hypnotherapy. Peter is responsible for the development of the LCCH s core courses that lead to the award of a Masters degree. With his colleagues he has introduced many new techniques and subjects to the curriculum, ensuring that it continues to meet the needs of the modern-day hypnotherapist. Peter has a background in psychopharmacology and co-authored a range of papers on tranquilisers, anxiety, and learning and memory. He was involved in the development and management of several innovative international research projects designed to further understanding of the neurological and psychological basis of hypnotherapy. Peter has specialist interests in the mind-body connection, pain management, lifestyle improvement, performance enhancement, the treatment of trauma, and cardiovascular hypnotherapy. Dedication From Mike Bryant: I would like to dedicate this book to my girls: my wife Toni, and my brilliant, beautiful daughters Jodie and Jessie. From Peter Mabbutt: I would like to dedicate this book to my partner Steven Winston. A big thank you for the past 10 years. Here s to our future together. Mum and dad, watching from above, thanks for all the happy memories. Authors Acknowledgments From Mike Bryant: I would like to thank my clients and supervisees who have provided a two-way learning process for me. I owe them a great deal in my development as a clinician, trainer, and author. Many thanks to Nicole at Wiley for pitching this book and helping it to fly. Much appreciation also to Mario, Ogun and Nelson for their encouragement. Peter, many thanks for bringing your expertise and humour to this project. It was great fun working with you. From Peter Mabbutt: Hola! to my sister Nadine and all the clan in sunny Españia. Thanks to my other family of Sandra, Gerald, Andrea Winston and Veronica Fernandez for continuing to put up with me. To my own family, Linda, Barrie, Barry, Gillian, Anna, Sally and Sam a big hallo again. Elijah and Dalya Winston, you are now at that age when you will be doing your utmost to ensure that your parents and I require prolonged therapy. Do your worst, kids we can take it! Sara Winston Fernandez, a true personality in the making. So young and yet so bossy and with the innate ability to make us all smile and laugh. Thank you. Here s to the newbies: Sheila Menon, Principal of LCCH Asia Pacific, many thanks for the opportunities and doors opened and for becoming such a good and close friend - oh, and for our gin and tonic post-lecturing debriefs in various hotel bars across Malaysia and Singapore! Allan Dodgeon, media mogul and radio raconteur, thanks for bringing hysterical laughter into the serious business of work and for the incredible friendship that grew from a Tweet. I would like to say a big thank you for all the support and encouragement given to me by my colleagues past, present and future at the LCCH right across the globe. A big thanks to Nicole, Simon and all at Wiley who made this possible, you really made a challenging process such a breeze. And Mike, it s always a pleasure working with you. We have another one under our belt. When do we start the next? Publisher s Acknowledgments We re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Commissioning, Editorial, and Media Development Project Editor: Simon Bell Commissioning Editor: Nicole Hermitage Assistant Editor: Ben Kemble Content Editor: Jo Theedom Copy Editor: Sally Osborn Technical Editor: Mark Haynes Publisher: David Palmer Production Manager: Daniel Mersey Cover Photos: Stephane106 / Alamy Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Project Coordinator: Lynsey Stanford Layout and Graphics: Carrie A. Cesavice, Timothy C. Detrick, Joyce Haughey Proofreader: Lindsay Littrell Indexer: Claudia Bourbeau Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services Contents at a Glance Introduction... 1 Part I: Identifying Your Needs and Preparing the Way... 7 Chapter 1: What Is Self-Hypnosis?...9 Chapter 2: Getting Your Mind and Body Working Together...19 Chapter 3: Using Self-Hypnosis to Achieve Your Goals...35 Chapter 4: Resisting Resistance and Avoiding Relapse...51 Part II: Training Your Mind with Self-Hypnosis Chapter 5: Entering a Hypnotic Trance with Traditional Self-Hypnosis...71 Chapter 6: Working with Words: Becoming Your Own Recording Star...87 Chapter 7: Consciously Directing Your Unconscious Chapter 8: Using Unconscious Self-Hypnosis Part III: Improving Your Outlook with Self-Hypnosis Chapter 9: Putting Paid to Panic, Anxiety, Phobias and Fear Chapter 10: Signing Up to Self-Esteem Chapter 11: Minimising Pain Chapter 12: Ironing Out Anger Chapter 13: Overcoming Insomnia Part IV: Overcoming Problems with Self-Hypnosis Chapter 14: Quitting Smoking Chapter 15: Keeping a Handle on Your Drinking Chapter 16: Controlling Your Eating Habits Chapter 17: Fostering Good Relationships Part V: The Part of Tens Chapter 18: Ten Creative Ways to Enter Trance Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Know You re in Trance Chapter 20: Ten (or so) Reasons to Seek Professional Help before Trying Self-Hypnosis Appendix A: Self-Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Resources Appendix B: About the CD Index Table of Contents Introduction... 1 About This Book...1 Conventions Used in This Book...2 Foolish Assumptions...2 Why You Need This Book...3 How This Book Is Organised...3 Part I: Identifying Your Needs and Preparing the Way...3 Part II: Training Your Mind with Self-Hypnosis...4 Part III: Improving Your Outlook with Self-Hypnosis...4 Part IV: Overcoming Problems with Self-Hypnosis...4 Part V: The Part of Tens...5 Icons Used in This Book...5 Where to Go from Here...6 Part I: Identifying Your Needs and Preparing the Way... 7 Chapter 1: What Is Self-Hypnosis? Understanding Self-Hypnosis...9 The ins and outs of self-hypnosis...10 Finding out how to induce hypnosis...11 Delving into your unconscious mind...12 Scoping out the uses of self-hypnosis...12 Seeing How Self-Hypnosis Works...13 Using suggestibility...13 Working with dissociation...14 Building on post-hypnotic suggestions...15 Reassuring Yourself About Safety...15 Staying in control...17 Deciding when to stop hypnosis...17 Knowing you always wake up...18 Chapter 2: Getting Your Mind and Body Working Together Exploring the Mind Body Conundrum...20 Approaching the Holistic vs Medical Debate...22 Helping the Mind to Heal the Body...24 Engaging your central nervous system...26 Being sympathetic to your nervous system...27 xii Self-Hypnosis For Dummies Experiencing Visualisation...29 Seeing how everyone can visualise...30 Adding extra senses to deepen your experience...31 Creating a safe place in your mind and body...32 Chapter 3: Using Self-Hypnosis to Achieve Your Goals Clarifying Your Goals...36 SMARTening up your goals...36 Deciding on your steps to success...38 Scoring the self-exploration goal...39 Striking the problem-solving goal...39 Waving a Magic Wand to Manage the Magic of Goal Setting...41 Questioning the magic wand question...42 Freeing yourself with the magic wand...43 Achieving Your Goals...43 Keeping your success in mind...44 Jumping the hurdles...44 Travelling in time...45 Putting Everything Together...46 Maintaining Your Goals After You Achieve Them...48 Ensuring you ve got what you want...48 Staying positive...48 Practising to make perfect...48 Creating new goals...49 Chapter 4: Resisting Resistance and Avoiding Relapse Understanding How You Block Your Own Needs...52 The secondary gain conundrum: The benefits of keeping the problem...53 Pedalling through the cycles of awareness and addiction...54 Helping yourself to remove obstacles...56 Countering Your Inner Critic...58 Imagining your inner critic and speaking its language...58 Empowering yourself...60 Creating good images for body themes...61 Countering I am bad themes...63 Using Your Critic to Achieve Success...63 Challenging unhelpful beliefs...64 Using your mistakes to your advantage...65 Finding healthier alternatives to problems...67 Table of Contents xiii Part II: Training Your Mind with Self-Hypnosis Chapter 5: Entering a Hypnotic Trance with Traditional Self-Hypnosis Looking at Traditional Self-Hypnosis Techniques...72 Setting the scene...72 Focusing on eye fixation...74 Relaxing progressively...76 Investigating Different Ways to Induce a Trance...78 Being hypnotic...79 Remembering past relaxed states...80 Understanding Vogt s fractionation...81 Rising to the challenge with arm levitation...83 Picturing your favourite place...85 Chapter 6: Working with Words: Becoming Your Own Recording Star Scripting Your Success...88 Formulating your focus...88 Attending to structure...89 Getting help with what to say...90 Creating key phrases...90 Speaking Hypnotese...92 Being positive with what you say...92 Reframing your words...93 Being specific...94 Modifying scripts to suit your needs...95 Using Your Voice to Best Effect...96 Making your voice interesting...96 Choosing between authoritarian and permissive voices...97 Recording Your Scripts Electronically...98 Finding the right equipment...99 Using recording equipment Using recording software Chapter 7: Consciously Directing Your Unconscious Understanding Your Nervous System Appreciating your autonomic nervous system Following the unconscious connection to your nervous system Looking at the Importance of Breathing Breathing your way to relaxation Slowing your breathing to trigger trance...108 xiv Self-Hypnosis For Dummies Conceptualising Your Unconscious Thermostat Adjusting your unconscious thermostat when you re stressed Controlling your health thermostat Chapter 8: Using Unconscious Self-Hypnosis Introducing Unconscious Self-Hypnosis Understanding Amnesia Speaking to your unconscious Remembering your dreams Doing self-hypnosis without realising you re in trance Daydreaming more often Turning on Unconscious Self-Hypnosis Using Anchors to Secure Positive Thoughts Using metaphors to trigger unconscious self-hypnosis Developing useful scripts Part III: Improving Your Outlook with Self-Hypnosis Chapter 9: Putting Paid to Panic, Anxiety, Phobias and Fear Foiling the Fear Factor Understanding your body s unique responses Safely going into trance Reducing Anxiety Exploring methods to reduce anxiety Monitoring your success Optimising your performance Overcoming Your Fears and Phobias Understanding the emotional component of your phobia Unpackaging your fears Successfully facing your fear or phobia Chapter 10: Signing Up to Self-Esteem Developing Greater Self-Love Accepting yourself Enjoying the healthiness of being ordinary Coping with Your Worst-Nightmare Situations Using self-hypnosis to feel stronger Problem solving with self-hypnosis Resolving Conflict with Self-Hypnosis Using self-awareness in the fight against conflict Using your magic wand to achieve the unbelievable Taking the win win approach to conflict...162 Table of Contents xv Chapter 11: Minimising Pain How Hypnosis Can Control Pain Safety First! Understanding Your Pain Characterising your pain Using scales to rate your pain Looking at Different Types of Pain Seeing that Pain s Subjective Strategising Your Way to Pain Management Visualising your relief Manipulating your pain Numbing your pain Chapter 12: Ironing Out Anger Calmly Understanding Your Anger Finding out how anger works for you Judging when anger s inappropriate Defining Your Anger Triggers by Keeping a Diary Creating your anger diary Using your diary to change your anger Being Assertive with Your Anger Using your anger constructively Stopping before the flashpoint Changing your angry behaviours and thoughts Chapter 13: Overcoming Insomnia Investigating Insomnia and Sleep Disorders Defining different types of sleep disorder Uncovering the causes of sleep problems Sussing Out Your Somnolent Solution Keeping a sleep diary Watching what you eat Discovering how much sleep you need Practising Practical Sleep Strategies Becoming knowledgeable about sleep Increasing your social support Using medication for sleep problems Using self-hypnosis to improve your sleep...203 xvi Self-Hypnosis For Dummies Part IV: Overcoming Problems with Self-Hypnosis Chapter 14: Quitting Smoking Understanding Your Smoking Habits Getting to grips with the quit cycle Working out when you smoke Understanding the difference between need and habit Preparing to Quit Advertising you re a smoke-free zone Positively dumping the paraphernalia Using Self-Hypnosis to Stop Smoking Preparing to become a non-smoker Becoming and remaining a non-smoker Handling temptation Inhaling healthier habits Chapter 15: Keeping a Handle on Your Drinking Understanding Your Emotional Need to Drink Thinking about how you feel about drinking Facing up to your feelings Discovering Your Drinking Patterns Working out how much you drink Focusing on factors that affect your drinking patterns Working out what type of drinker you are Lone drinking Binge drinking Using Self-Hypnosis to Reduce Your Drinking Establishing your drinking goals Thinking through self-hypnosis script
